Rollins’ ‘urgency’ holding Phils back
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Mon, October 13, 2008 12:11 PM | Comments: 29
Posts
Jimmy Rollins, NLCS version: 13 AB / .077 AVG / 6 K / 0 BB
Dodger pitchers are baffling him with an array of pitches, and for the most part, Rollins is swinging through everything. Is Rollins pressing?
A few days ago, Rollins said this:
“What we learned is that it’s not a five-game series. It’s the first to three wins. And now in this series, it’s the first to four. You have to play with more urgency.”
Urgency — precisely the quality we haven’t found from this Phils team. They’ve never played with urgency. When the Phils were floundering in second place, Rollins said they’d “turn it up” toward the end, but for the most part, harped about getting the job done, taking it one game at a time, staying the course.
Now he’s talking about urgency. And the urgent Rollins is flailing at most everything he thinks he can hit.
It’s time for Rollins to stress patience, both in the clubhouse and at the plate. He is a necessity if this team is going to win a world championship.
Posts: 0 Jamie
Starting tonight, he needs to take more pitches…hell, everyone needs to take more pitches…
Their biggest problem last night was not taking enough, and swinging at the pitcher’s pitches. If they take more, and are a little more patient, they will force the pitchers either into walks or throwing hitter’s pitches. Either way, they will be much better off.
As you noted Tim, it all starts with J-Roll. Victorino is not exception. He swung at terrible pitches last night and I’m scared to think he’s back in his “home run” mode where he’s popping everything up instead of hitting line drives and gappers.
Focus and patience will lead us to victory.
Posted: 12:51 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 oaklandphilsphan
My lineup:
1-Vic-L
2-Werth-R
3-Utley-L
4-Howard-L
5-Burrell-R
6-Rollins-L
7-Dobbs-L
8-Ruiz-R
9-Blanton-R
Posted: 01:20 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Jamie
I like that line-up a lot, Oakland. Charlie will never do it though.
Posted: 01:26 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Paul
Rollins does need to step back, and be more patient.
He looks lost right now at the plate.
Posted: 01:39 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Don M
Werth has been struggling this series against the Dodgers tough RHP.. I wonder if they go with Dobbs again at 3b tonight to get another lefty in there against Lowe..
Posted: 01:43 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Eamonn
I agree that rollins has been looking impatient at times (ie. swinging through bad pitches late in the count to strike out) but he’s also taking first pitch fastball right down the middle. Maybe if he can just jump on one of those early fastballs, things can turn around
Posted: 01:45 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Jim
Why are we going with Blanton tonight? We need to put Hamels out there so we can use him again in Game 7 if nessecary. I do not agree with this move at all. It should be Hamels, then myers again, then Blanton in game six if charlie is not confident with Moyer. Then Hamels in game 7 if nessecary.
Posted: 01:46 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Jamie
I think they’re scared of pitching Cole on 3 days rest. However, if he did pitch tonight, in Game 7 he’d be on 5 days rest. I would pull the trigger on it, too, but the deciding factor is whether Cole thinks he could do it. He may not.
Posted: 01:49 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 bull
I think this is the right decsion, don’t panic and rush cole back. The phils are 10-4 in games blanton has started and should fair well against the dodgers lineup. You would like to take two in LA but you take 1 you still go home up 3-2.
Posted: 01:53 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Don M
But if Blanton looks good again tonight… then you have Hamels on FULL rest (he doesn’t like pitching on short-rest anyway, and has looked GREAT on his extended rest so far this postseason).. but you’d have Hamels and then Myers both going on full-rest with hopefully a chance to end the series in game #5 or #6 at home..
its a tough call, but I think if you go with Hamels on short-rest and he doesn’t perform.. there is a chance that you never even get to a game#7 to use him again.. this way at least you guarantee him a shot of going and hopefully nailing down one more win
Posted: 01:54 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
Yea – I would like for Cole to be able to pitch a game 7 if its necessary. I would feel very confident with him pitching at home. If we have to see Lowe 3 times, we should make them see Cole 3 times.
Posted: 01:57 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Paul
The idea of Hamels in a potential game 7 is nice. But I like sticking with Blanton here. He looked great in his last start against the Brewers, if he can follow that up with another good outing, then I really like the Phils chances tonight.
Posted: 02:03 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Ben
I’m definitely not a fan of all the lineup changes that Charlie makes. You’ve got to keep the lineup where it is with Rollins in there at the leadoff spot. Rollins just needs to have good at bats. Taking the right pitches and seeing the ball better.
I have no problem seeing Blanton tonight. Hamels just shouldn’t pitch on 3 days rest period. Blanton just needs to keep that ball low and throw his fastball for strikes and he should be alright. Phillies need to hit tonight. Don’t swing at balls especially that sinker in the dirt and make Lowe bring the ball in the strike zone.
Posted: 02:08 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 SJ Mike
I think this lineup is going to feed well off of Lowe going on short rests and seeing him a second time around in a short amount of time.
Posted: 02:16 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 dan
What about the idea of letting Cole have his rest now and if it does come down to a game 7 we can try to have him pitch on three days rest then? Everyone wants him on 3 days rest now and full rest then, but why not save the idea of making him pitch on short rest for if it is absolutely necessary?
Posted: 02:19 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Gabriel
come on people, hollywood hamels is who he is… a lanky, somewhat scrawny guy, he’s simply not built to be overworked… he’s conditioned himself to be the ace of a FIVE guy rotation… not a THREE man one…
dont get me wrong, i would love to see him take the wheel here and go at it with D Lowe tonight but it’s just not gonna happen.
Posted: 02:28 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
dan – games 5 and 7 are not 3 days apart. Game 5 is on the 15th and Game 7 is on the 18th. That would leave 2 days of rest.
Posted: 02:29 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 bull
remember everyone it is 1 game at a time. We need to win another before we can get to 7. Blanton does his job (again here is why we traded for him) and we can look for a fully rested cole in game 5
Posted: 02:32 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 dan
aha! i was thrown off by the day off tomorrow- thanks NEPA
Posted: 02:35 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 dan
Regardless of how he pitches tonight, based on his pitching down the stretch and particularly of NLDS game 4, would you say the Blanton trade was worth it?
Posted: 02:36 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Chase Mutley
I can’t believe it but I will be at Game 5 in LA. Got 2 tickets for face value, 2 days before the game (god bless you Dodgers fans) and bumped up my business trip flight to arrive in time for the game. So — what’s good, LA?
Posted: 02:36 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 bull
that trade in my mind was made with intentions of getting the phils to the WS and like i said that is why tonights start for blanton really is the deciding factor. For me at least, he has pitched well but we needed another starter to get us over the hump, is he that guy? We shall see tonight!
Posted: 02:40 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Gabriel
well said bull, he’s done exactly what we’ve asked him to do…
out of the 15 or so games he’s started for us we’ve won like, 10 or 11, that’s pretty good, but all us philly phans can do is call him ‘fat joe’ or ‘heavy b’ hahah he seems to embrace us though, so i like him by default, still a much better option than kendrick or adam ‘rob the phils blind’ eaton
Posted: 02:46 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Chase Mutley
At the Phillies celebration after clinching the NL East, Blanton’s wife was the hottest (and what seemed like the drunkest) woman there and that’s some serious competition amongst the player’s wives. I’m behind Big Joe 110%.
Posted: 02:49 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 NCPhillyPhan
Regardless of who is pitching tonight, the bats have to come alive. Keep Rollins in the leadoff spot. He is a sparkplug. and he will get it going. Once he does, the whole squad will be clicking on all cylinders . . . I hope.
And, as for a game 7, let’s win this thing in 6, or maybe even 5!!
PS – anybody have any good hotels to stay at in Philly for the WS? I’m driving up from NC.
Posted: 03:05 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Tyler
Come here http://amazinmetsblog.typepad.com/ at 4 p.m. for a live chat!
Posted: 03:39 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Dennis
NCPhillyPhan,
Let’s make it there first but if you’re coming up stay at The Loews Hotel, a little pricey but unbeilevably nice….
Posted: 04:41 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 oaklandphilsphan
I’m surprised no one has mentioned a possible game 4-7 rotation here:
Game 4-Mon-Blanton vs. Lowe
Game 5-Wed-Hamels vs. Billingsley
Game 6-Fri-Blanton (3 days rest) vs. Kuroda
Game 7-Sa-Myers (full rest) vs. Lowe
I like this rotation much more with Blanton and Myers in 6 and 7 than
Myers and Moyer, and the matchups are better. Anyone care to discuss?
Posted: 04:46 PM on October 13, 2008
Posts: 0 NEPA
I’d rather not see Blanton twice in 3 games, but that could obviously change if Blanton pitches really well tonight. I would have loved to see Cole match up with Lowe for tonight’s game and then game 7 if necessary but that would probably be overworking him. But also, this is the first NLCS for the Phils in 15 years, I’d hope Cole would be willing – but probably not.
Posted: 05:01 PM on October 13, 2008